George Clooney isn't the first Oscar winner who started
his acting life on television; heck, he's not even the tenth. Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt and Hillary Swank, for instance,
all had significant TV experience before making it big on film (Bosom Buddies, anyone? Beverly Hills,
90210?). But has any Oscar winner had the checkered acting history that Clooney has? Yeah, yeah, he came to
prominence in a little medical drama called ER (whatever happened with that show, anyway? Is it still on the
air?), but what came before that is a bunch of roles that Clooney
would rather not talk about:1. The Facts of Life: This is the one everyone remembers. He played George Burnett, the contractor hired by Mrs. Garrett and the girls to help them rebuild Edna's Edibles after it burnt down. After the store re-opened as a novelty shop, George stayed on to be, I guess, the "hunky male presence" on the show. He actually lasted on the show for two whole seasons, and came back for a guest appearance or two in the show's last year. His role was mostly forgettable and the show had already run its course, but things could have been worse; he got to stare at Kim Fields' blossoming womanhood everyday.
2. Roseanne: I don't think George would be embarrased by the classic sitcom itself, but with how quickly his role as Booker, the foreman at the factory where Roseanne and her sister Jackie worked, disappeared. Think about it: he gets a plum role on a highly-hyped series that's starring the era's hottest stand-up comedian. He even had a love interest in Jackie. George thought he had it made. Then Roseanne decided to shift the show away from her character's working life and -- OOPS! -- there goes the plum role, even before the first season was over.
3. E/R: No, not ER! E/R! With a slash in the middle! E/R was a sitcom from the mid-'80s that took place in, yes, a Chicago emergency room. It starred Mary McDonnell (currenlty on Battlestar Galactica), Jason Alexander, and... wait for it... Elliott Gould. Thaaaaat's right. Elliott Gould, one of the original series killers. George played the hotshot orderly (or was he a hotshot intern?) Ace. I vaguely remember this show; it wasn't bad, but any show with Gould as the star was doomed to failure.
4. Sunset Beat: I had no idea this show even existed, but the IMDb description of it is priceless: "A team of Los Angeles cops go undercover posing as motorcycle bikers to nail street crime and other disorder in town." I'm sure that the mullet George was growing on Facts was in full bloom here.
5. Bodies of Evidence: The name alone is awful. I don't know much about this one, but it was an early-'90s crime drama that starred Lee Horsely or Matt Houston fame. Hopefully, George didn't grow a moustache to match Lee's. That would have looked kinda...odd.
Anyone remember either of these last two shows, or any of Clooney's other painful TV roles? Let me know in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-07-2006 @ 4:32AM
julie said...
Grizzly II: The Predator - it wasn´t even aired so I assume it must have been really really bad. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093119/
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3-07-2006 @ 5:45AM
MrC said...
What I loved about E/R were the cross-over episodes, which if I remember correctly, involved someone getting hurt on "The Fall Guy" and ending up in the comedy hospital on E/R.
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3-07-2006 @ 7:01AM
Mike said...
I caught an interview with him over the weekend. He freely admitted that a lot of his success was pure luck. He said if ER had been on Friday night instead of must-see Thursday he'd probably still be an unknown.
He also commented about how he thought each one of these shows - no matter how truly awful it was - was going to be "The One" that would bring him his big break. I think he said he was in something like 14 pilots.
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3-07-2006 @ 9:24AM
Gordy said...
I liked him on The Golden Girls and Roseann.
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3-07-2006 @ 9:49AM
max said...
and of course "Sisters", George Clooney as Detective James Falconer (1993-1994)
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3-07-2006 @ 1:05PM
W. J. St Christopher said...
I loved George in "Sunset Beat"! I don't think he wore a mullet, but was resplendent in all his gorgeous, long wavy tressed, black leather clad, motorcyle riding splendor. He played an undercover cop who was also frontman in a rock band.
I still have the pilot episode on VHS!
Yum!
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3-24-2008 @ 11:21PM
Bridget said...
Wow!! I wish I would have seen that one!!! My personal favorite was Bodies of Evidence. He was oh so sensitive to the ladies .
3-07-2006 @ 2:01PM
LC said...
While the name of the show reeked of skinemax, Bodies of evidence was actually a pretty decent cop drama. It was a mid season replacement with a pretty diverse cast. It was similar in procedure to Without a Trace in that a team would investigate a crime, but there wouldn't be a heck of a lot of action such as firefights and car chases. I don't even know if they ever fired a weapon on the show.
Horsely was the Lt. I think his acting was actually quite good compared to his Matt Houston days.
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3-07-2006 @ 3:08PM
elf said...
Give Clooney credit for actually embracing his past instead of trying to deny it. Too many big stars won't even acknowledge past failures much less admit that they were all stepping stones to bigger and better things. Clooney knows he can't escape his past roles, so instead he owns up to them, makes fun of them, and he also gives hope to the actors going on their umpteenth interview trying to land a spot as a waiter on a sitcom likely to be cancelled before the episode even airs. (I know a few struggling actors in this boat.)
What I don't understand is why Clooney keeps insisting that he killed the Batman franchise when everyone knows it was Joel Schumaker who did that, and Schumaker even pretty much admits to it on the DVD commentary for Clooney's Batman movie.
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3-07-2006 @ 6:50PM
Tammy said...
I got to meet George when he was Falconer on Sisters. We were on vacation and he was staying at the same place with Richard Kind. I thought he looked familiar and then I started asking all my sisters if they watched Sisters and was that Falconer! hehehe He was so nice to us. We were in a Casino so we couldn't get our picture taken with him, darn it all. But we saw him many times that week and he remembered our names each time he said Hello.
I do remember him on Rosanne, FOL and sort of E/R but not the last two.
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3-09-2006 @ 6:25AM
Cristobal said...
How about taking the time to proofread and research your column before publishing it? If you are going to be snide, at least make it look like you took the time to get it right.
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3-09-2006 @ 7:07AM
Nancy said...
I loved him on Sisters!!!!
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3-09-2006 @ 7:20AM
A.S.H. said...
How can you mention E/R without mentioning Conchata Ferrell (Two 1/2 Men's 'Berta')??? She's always fantastic. And I still sing the song her husband sang for their anniversary: "I love a woman with love handles, something to hold onto..."
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3-09-2006 @ 7:39AM
Kerri said...
I'm sure Sisters wasn't mentioned because the article is about the roles he wants to FORGET. But when it comes down to roles all together, I wonder if The Killer Tomatoes Strikes Back would be one of those he would like to forget?
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3-09-2006 @ 7:41AM
Bill said...
Not only TV shows, but I believe his first movie was the sequal to "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"
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3-09-2006 @ 7:50AM
michelle said...
why deny your start??? thank all that gave it to you
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3-09-2006 @ 7:55AM
mp said...
Found these pix of George Clooney in Sunset Beat. No mullet but quite a head of hair!
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3-09-2006 @ 8:26AM
Shay said...
I remember Sunset Beat! It's kind of the reason I like to ride bikes now! George Clooney on a Harley! OMG Can it get much hotter?!
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3-09-2006 @ 8:37AM
Jane said...
I remember E/R very well. In fact, when I first heard the press mention George Clooney from E.R. as the latest heartthrob, I thought they were referring to his part on the comedy.
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3-09-2006 @ 8:50AM
KANROCKJUST said...
I love George Clooney! He was totally hot on FACTS OF LIFE & I always had the feeling he was destined for bigger & better things. I also loved how he resurfaced on ROSEANNE. I am so glad he is finally getting roles that are OSCAR worthy but those early those are nothing to be ashamed of. He gave me a reason to watch TV when he was just a young hottie!!!
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